It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

Title: It Happened One Summer (It Happened One Summer #1)

Author: Tessa Bailey

Publisher: Avon 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 416

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR; Romanceopoly - Summer

Spice Meter: 5

Piper Bellinger is fashionable, influential, and her reputation as a wild child means the paparazzi are constantly on her heels. When too much champagne and an out-of-control rooftop party lands Piper in the slammer, her stepfather decides enough is enough. So he cuts her off, and sends Piper and her sister to learn some responsibility running their late father’s dive bar... in Washington.

Piper hasn’t even been in Westport for five minutes when she meets big, bearded sea captain Brendan, who thinks she won’t last a week outside of Beverly Hills. So what if Piper can’t do math, and the idea of sleeping in a shabby apartment with bunk beds gives her hives. How bad could it really be? She’s determined to show her stepfather—and the hot, grumpy local—that she’s more than a pretty face.

Except it’s a small town and everywhere she turns, she bumps into Brendan. The fun-loving socialite and the gruff fisherman are polar opposites, but there’s an undeniable attraction simmering between them. Piper doesn’t want any distractions, especially feelings for a man who sails off into the sunset for weeks at a time. Yet as she reconnects with her past and begins to feel at home in Westport, Piper starts to wonder if the cold, glamorous life she knew is what she truly wants. LA is calling her name, but Brendan—and this town full of memories—may have already caught her heart.

I finally found a Tessa Bailey book that I didn’t hate. I was hoping for a good enemies to lovers trope. We don’t exactly get that here, but I still enjoyed the story of Brendan and Piper. The story went a lot deeper than I was expecting and we get into issues surrounding grief. I was very on board with more serious relationship talk. Ultimately we get a nice romance with a great setting and fun side characters. The sex scenes felt a bit forced in places, but were ultimately decent. I was really just wanting much more banter. I may even read the next book.

It Happened One Summer

• #1 It Happened One Summer

• #2 Hook, Line, and Sinker

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• We’re restarting the His Dark Materials television series to remember everything before starting season three. It is one of our favorite book series. The series has been a really good adaptation.

• Somehow our oldest class of coop has ballooned up tot 16 students. Goodness! We have grown.

• So many romance books this month. My reading has exploded!

• My body is feeling better although I still get twinges of pain now and then.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

Title: Anya and the Dragon

Author: Sofiya Pasternack

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2019

Genre: MG Fantasy

Pages: 394

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR

Anya and the Dragon is the story of fantasy and mayhem in tenth century Eastern Europe, where headstrong eleven-year-old Anya is a daughter of the only Jewish family in her village. When her family’s livelihood is threatened by a bigoted magistrate, Anya is lured in by a friendly family of fools, who promise her money in exchange for helping them capture the last dragon in Kievan Rus. This seems easy enough, until she finds out that the scary old dragon isn't as old—or as scary—as everyone thought. Now Anya is faced with a choice: save the dragon, or save her family.

I had checked this out months ago, but never got to it before it was due at the library. I remembered that I had wanted to read it and checked it out again. I wasn’t quite expecting the story I got, but enjoyed most of it. I loved following Anya through her adventure involving many magical creatures and a friendly dragon. Once the story finally got going, I enjoyed the adventure. The problem is the story takes way too long to really get going. We spend too much time listening to Anya whine about life. I would have loved to meet the dragon much sooner or even diving more into Ivan’s life much sooner. I am wondering what will happen in the sequel and will probably read that one soon.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lore Olympus Vol. 3 by Rachel Smythe

Title: Lore Olympus Volume 3

Author: Rachel Smythe

Publisher: Random House Worlds 2022

Genre: Fantasy Comic

Pages: 384

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR

All of Olympus—and the Underworld—are talking about the God of the Dead and the sprightly daughter of Demeter. But despite the rumors of their romance, Hades and Persephone have plenty to navigate on their own.

Since coming to Olympus, Persephone has struggled to be the perfect maiden goddess. Her attraction to Hades has only complicated the intense burden of the gods’ expectations. And after Apollo’s assault, Persephone fears she can no longer bury the intense feelings of hurt and love that she’s worked so hard to hide.
 
As Persephone contemplates her future, Hades struggles with his past, falling back into toxic habits in Minthe’s easy embrace. With all the mounting pressure and expectations—of their family, friends, and enemies—both Hades and Persephone tell themselves to deny their deepest desires, but the pull between them is too tempting, too magnetic. It’s fate.

Another wonderful collection of Smythe’s story of love between Hades and Persephone. It was lovely to revisit the story even though I have read farther in the Webtoons. Smythe’s coloring and illustrations add beautiful atmosphere to the story. I especially love the differences in coloring between all the characters. I cannot wait until the fourth volume publishes.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Literary Education by Emily Cook

Title: A Literary Education

Author: Emily Cook

Publisher: Build Your Library Publishing 2017

Genre: Nonfiction - Education

Pages: 202

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR

Have you researched Charlotte Mason’s philosophy of education but discounted it as old-fashioned and overtly religious? Then this is the book you need to read. In A Literary Education, Emily Cook lays out how she has brought Miss Mason’s ideology into the modern age for secular homeschoolers. In conversational prose she discusses the key tenants used in Charlotte Mason homeschooling and explains how to make them work for your family. You’ll read about: · Living books and how to use them · Reading aloud: the why and the how · Nature study in the 21st century · How to inspire creativity in your children · How to get the most out of the preschool years · How to combine children of multiple ages · And much more! In A Literary Education, Emily shares her 14 year homeschool journey and how she has learned to take Charlotte Mason’s method of home education into the 21st century to give her children a beautiful living books education.

Finally borrowed this from a friend and read it in one sitting. We are eclectic homeschoolers, but a big part of that is Charlotte Mason philosophy. I love the concept of living books, read aloud, and getting out into nature. Unfortunately, the pure Charlotte Mason philosophy is very Christian and we just aren't. I love how Emily Cook distills CM’s philosophy devoid of religion or mid-1800s mindsets and perspectives. Cook details how exactly she implements the philosophy into her everyday homeschool routine. Many of the things she highlights we already do. But I did get a few new ideas and more importantly, ways to view what we are already doing.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Title: Remarkably Bright Creatures

Author: Shelby Van Pelt

Publisher: Ecco 2022

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 360

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf; 52 Book Club - Book About Secrets

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late. 

I resisted reading this book for so long. When someone describes a book as “heartwarming,” I usually run screaming in the other direction. And so, I did not pick up this book last year. Then, a friend picked it for January’s book club selection and I, grumbling, sat down to read it. Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed this one. Mostly, I enjoyed it for the slim interludes chapters narrated by Marcellus. I think I would have loved any entire book narrated by Marcellus. Instead, we have to add a few humans into the mix and a whole host of secrets. The tidy nature of the secrets were a bit too much for me to give this book 5 stars. That and the chapters focused on Cameron really bugged me. I grew to really love Tova and the story of her life. I would have liked more about her and her interactions with the various members of the town. The chapters about Cameron were tough to get through. He was not a great and lovable person and I really struggled wanting to reach through the pages and slap him. A mixed bag. Overall, It was a nice story and I am interested to see everyone’s reaction at book club tonight.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W18-19: It's Been a Strange Two Weeks...

What We Studied

We started off the spring semester with a normal week. And then, I had a minor outpatient surgery that knocked me back an entire week. So it was more like a 1 1/4 weeks of actual curriculum. At least we got outside and got to see our friends before I had to stay home. I tried to keep our read alouds going, but really let everything else go.

Family game night

Literature and Poetry

For the coop book club, we finished reading our current book, Samantha Spinner. We had a fun club discussion with multiple friends. We then started our next selection. I’m really looking forward to that one.

• Samantha Spinner and the Super Secret Plans by Russell Ginns

• Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

Arthur and I read a survival story over the last two weeks. I didn’t know if he would really get into it, but turns out that he loved it. He even wants to read the two sequels. I told him that we could get them from the library and he could read them during independent reading. He also started learning how to write in cursive. We’re working on it! And Arthur started his study of the world religions.

• Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry

• My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

• El Deafo by Cece Bell

• One World, Many Religions by Mary Pope Osborne

• Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson

Quentin focused on reading animal stories from around the world. I’m trying to line them up with our continents as we move across the world. For starting the study of Asia, Q and read a book focused on a Taiwanese-American family celebrating Chinese New Year and going about their year.

• Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry

• A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister

• Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta

• The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin

• Pete the Cat's Groovy Bake Sale (Quentin Read)

• The Mighty Avengers: These are the Avengers (Quentin Read)

Math

For both boys, we have scheduled math for three days a week. One day is focused on logic, games, puzzles, and special projects. The two other days are focused on covering the main math curriculum (Singapore 4A and 4B for Arthur and Singapore 1A and 1B for Quentin). During one of my off days, I pulled out the winter tangrams for the boys to enjoy. They are always a good distraction.

• Logic Liftoff (Arthur)

• Singapore 4B

• Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)

• Singapore 1A

Social Studies

Arthur continued his large study of United States history using a combination of Build Your Library Level 5 and History Quest United States History. We’ve finished our study of the Revolutionary War. We’ve also continued reading the beginning of Laurie Halse Anderston’s trilogy about slavery in America.

• A Kid’s Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

• We were There Too by Philip Hoose

• Words that Built a Nation

• History Quest: U.S. History

• A Different Mirror

• DK American History Visual Encyclopedia

• King George: What was His Problem? How to Start a Revolution

• Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

• George Vs. George by Rosalyn Schanzer

• Forgotten Founders by Mifflin Lowe

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We’ve moved into Asia started with the central asian countries of the former Soviet Union.

• Nat Geo Beginner’s World Atlas

• DK Countries of the World

• DK Children Just Like Me

• DK Children Just Like Me: A School Like Mine

• Follow Me Around China by Wiley Blevins

• Living in China by Chloe Perkins

• Z is for Zodiac by Elizabeth Rush

• The Empty Pot by Demi

• Daisy Comes Home by Jan Brett

• Lost and Found: Adèle and Simon in China by Barbara McClintock

• The Discovery of Fireworks and Gunpowder by Phil Amara and Oliver Chin

• Lon Po Po by Ed Young

• Liang and the Magic Paintbrush by Demi

• Hot Pot Night by Vincent Chen

Family trivia - we lost, but it was fun

Arthur Independent Time

We are working on following a checklist in a planner for weekly independent work. There’s usually some math workbook pages, an ELA packet, weekly writing prompts (1-2 times a week), independent reading time, and a special creative project. There has been many drawing projects lately.

Science

Arthur is focusing on Physics this year. We are covering the text and related videos at home and then joining friends for experiments and extra projects. We covered sound waves. Our friends led the boys to some great experiments. We skipped science the second week due to my recovery.

• RSO Physics

• The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim

• The Way Things Work Now

Quentin will be focusing on animal science with BYL Level 0.

• Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas

• DK Animal

• Lonely Planet: The Animal Book

• The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George

STEAM Coop

We had our first meeting of the year. Arthur started learning how to create stop-motion animation. Quentin learned about marine layers and ocean animals. The second week, we wouldn’t have gone to coop because of my recovery. That was going to be okay with us, but coop was cancelled due to the weather.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

We’re planning one doing on art project and one cooking project each week as well as picking a composer or musician to listen to and enjoy. We managed to watch the first episode of How the Earth Changed History. The episode was all about how water has changed the course of civilizations.

Field Trip

We headed to the zoo to focus on ocean animals. We visited the aquarium, sea lions, and stingray beach. It was lovely winter visit.

High

• We managed two winter hikes before my surgery. We walked the 3 mile loop at Schramm with some our close friends. We also visited Heron Haven with some other friends. It was lovely to see the nature ares in the height of winter. The iced-over wetlands were very neat to see.

Low

• Recovery from surgery has been rough. I could not do much and definitely could not get out of a bed multiple times a day.

Next Week

• Starting two new read alouds for literature

• Keeping on with our math curriculum

• Moving farther east in Asia for SS (Q)

• Creating a Constitution for history (A)

• Covering magnets for physics

• Watching another episode of our documentary series

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Burning"

Somehow I missed this song completely until I caught it on the radio a week ago. Really love them!

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Me You Love in the Dark by Skottie Young and Jorge Corona

Title: The Me You Love in the Dark

Author: Skottie Young and Jorge Corona

Publisher: Image 2022

Genre: Horror Comic

Pages: 128

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR

Writer SKOTTIE YOUNG (I HATE FAIRYLAND, DEADPOOL, STRANGE ACADEMY) and artist JORGE CORONA (NO. 1 WITH A BULLET, SUPER SONS, FEATHERS) follow up their critically acclaimed series MIDDLEWEST with a brand new haunting tale. An artist named Ro retreats from the grind of the city to an old house in a small town to find solace and inspiration without realizing the muse she finds within is not what she expected. Fans of STEPHEN KING and NEIL GAIMAN will enjoy this beautiful, dark and disturbing story of discovery, love and terror.

Collects THE ME YOU LOVE IN THE DARK #1-5

I picked this one up off of a list of great horror comics and it sure did deliver. We get a very spooky slow-build story of an artist trying to find her muse in a creepy house. Of course, things are going to go badly, but not before they seem to go very well. I adored how the monster is revealed in little slivers throughout most of of the story. We don’t get to see the true horror until we’ve completely immersed ourselves in the setting. The art was done beautifully. I sped through this one and then went back and reread it immediately to really slow down and appreciate the construction of this story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #2

Right now I am: Deciding what to make for brunch. J picked up some cinnamon rolls, but I’m debating on bacon or sausage to go with them and eggs.

Thinking and pondering: How longer until I’m healed? I know the surgeon said two weeks, but I’m hoping to be able to get out and about before that. So far, I’m one week out and feeling decent. But the pain really comes and goes throughout the day.

On my bedside table: Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack; The Dollhouse Family; At Grave’s End by Jeaniene Frost

On my tv this week: Not too much tv this week. I’ve been going to bed early because of all the healing. We did manage to watch a few episodes of Mythic Quest, Avenue 5, and Leverage: Redemption. We also watched a couple of classic murder mystery movies (Evil Under the Sun and Deathtrap). We’ve been on a weird murder mystery kick after watching a video reviewing 10 classic movies. We hadn’t seen most of them, so off we went on a movie plan.

Listening to: Just the usual podcasts. I haven’t even really listened to music at all this week. Very strange! But I also haven’t driven anywhere, so I guess that makes sense.

On the menu for this week: It’s a soup heavy week!

• Monday - Cawl Cennin

• Tuesday - Out for Book Club (hopefully)

• Wednesday - Chicken Ranch Tacos and Black Bean Soup

• Thursday - Baked Potato Soup

• Friday - Apple Bacon Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

• Saturday - Cajun Chicken and Sausage Alfredo

• Sunday - Leftovers

On my to do list: It’s a mile long, but I still can only really do things that have me sitting in one spot. I have taken some time to work on the Bookish Retreat in June and the coop calendar. I’ll probably keep at that for awhile until I can move around better.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Home

• Tuesday - Dentist cleaning; Book Club (hopefully)

• Wednesday - Science at our house

• Thursday - Coop

• Friday - Nature Walk at OPPD Arboretum

• Saturday - Book Club (other one)

• Sunday - Home Day

What I am creating: Nothing really. I do want to work on my 2022 December Daily album, but it’s hard to sit straight up in my chair. Maybe next week.

My simple pleasures: Sleeping through the night, easing off the high powered pain meds, fresh backed cookies (ovens that actually work are amazing!)

Looking around the house: For me being down all week, it’s not in terrible shape. There are lots of random piles that need to be put away, and I should vacuum soon, but it looks decent.

From the camera: I did not take a single picture this week…

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Title: The Priory of the Orange Tree (The Roots of Chaos #1)

Author: Samantha Shannon

Publisher: Bloomsbury 2019

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 848

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR; COYER; 52 Book Club - High Fantasy

The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction--but assassins are getting closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.

The Nerdy Bookish Friends club started 2023 with this behemoth! And what a story it was. I will admit that it took my about 100 pages to really get into the story. There are many people and places to keep track of and I had to orient myself to this world. This is high fantasy and definitely involves a lot of world-building at the beginning. Once, I settled in, I started to connect to some of the characters and began to see the big conflicts brewing. I really enjoyed how Shannon wove the stories of all these very different characters to highlight their prejudices and biases. By the end of the book, I was glad that I had read it, but I must say this wasn’t my absolute favorite. The pacing seemed very off throughout the book. I was extremely bored at many times throughout and then something would happen and I wouldn’t be able to put the book down. I may have been more satisfied if this book had been broken up a bit in two separate volumes. Still debating about reading the prequel that’s just about to be published…

The Roots of Chaos

• #0.5 A Day of Fallen Night

• #1 The Priory of the Orange Tree

• #2 TBD

Next up on the TBR pile:

One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Title: One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress #2)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2008

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Pages: 357

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Winter TBR; Finishing the Series

Spice Meter: 5 (albeit one with a vampire)

You can run from the grave, but you can't hide . . .

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the government to rid the world of the rogue undead. She's still using everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her, but when Cat is targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the vampire she left behind.

Being around him awakens all her emotions, from the adrenaline kick of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless passion that consumed them. But a price on her head—wanted: dead or half-alive—means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no matter how hard she tries to keep things professional between them, she'll find that desire lasts forever . . . and that Bones won't let her get away again.

After finishing the first book in the series, I just had to immediately start on the next one. This series is so much fun and full of action. The story dives right in and doesn’t let up until the last page. We get to see Cat four years after the events of the first book as she tries to navigate a new life away from Bones. Of course, he’s not going to stay away for the entire book. Thankfully he fairly quickly makes an appearance and we get the real action. The reader finally gets to learn more about the world and the history of the characters. Another great volume in this series. I’m definitely going to be moving on very soon.

Night Huntress:

• #0.5 Reckoning

• #1 Halfway to the Grave

• #1.2 The Other Half of the Grave

• #1.5 Happily Never After

• #2 One Foot in the Grave

• #3 At Grave’s End

• #3.5 Devil to Pay

• #4 Destined for an Early Grave

• #4.5 One for the Money

• #5 This Side of the Grave

• #6 One Grave at a Time

• #6.5 Home for the Holidays

• #7 Up from the Grave

• #7.5 Outtakes from the Grave

• #7.6 A Grave Girls’ Getaway

• #8 Both Feet in the Grave

Next up on the TBR pile:

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2007

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Pages: 358

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Romanceopoly - The Vault; Finishing the Series

Spice Meter: 5 (albeit one with vampires)

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father—the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.

In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner—are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

This particular series has been sitting on my unread shelves for years. I finally started it just a few days ago and I sped right through the first book. The action starts right away and doesn’t let up until the end of the story. We get a strong female lead and a strong male lead. I loved following Cat’s journey as she comes to understand who exactly she is. Once Bones enters the picture, the story really gets going. I just really love their banter and the way that he cares for Cat. The mystery of the disappearing girls gives the plot a bit of depth and kept me on my toes. I just had to see how everyone concluded. At the conclusion of this volume I knew that I had to keep reading. I’ll be starting the next volume immediately.

Night Huntress:

• #0.5 Reckoning

• #1 Halfway to the Grave

• #1.2 The Other Half of the Grave

• #1.5 Happily Never After

• #2 One Foot in the Grave

• #3 At Grave’s End

• #3.5 Devil to Pay

• #4 Destined for an Early Grave

• #4.5 One for the Money

• #5 This Side of the Grave

• #6 One Grave at a Time

• #6.5 Home for the Holidays

• #7 Up from the Grave

• #7.5 Outtakes from the Grave

• #7.6 A Grave Girls’ Getaway

• #8 Both Feet in the Grave

Next up on the TBR pile:

The End and Other Beginnings by Veronica Roth

Title: The End and Other Beginnings: Stories from the Future

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books 2019

Genre: SciFi Short Stories

Pages: 262

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR; 52 Book Club - Time in the Title

No world is like the other. Within this masterful collection, each setting is more strange and wonderful than the last, brimming with new technologies and beings. And yet, for all the advances in these futuristic lands, the people still must confront deeply human problems.

In these six stories, Veronica Roth reaches into the unknown and draws forth something startlingly familiar and profoundly beautiful.

With tales of friendship and revenge, plus two new stories from the Carve the Mark universe, this collection has something for new and old fans alike. Each story begins with a hope for a better end, but always end with a better understanding of the beginning.

With beautifully intricate black-and-white interior illustrations and a uniquely designed package, this is the perfect gift for book lovers.

A collection of science fiction short stories isn’t usually a winner and this volume was no exception. I usually find a few stories that really interest me, but often the stories are dull or uninspired. This one dives into the future featuring a few dystopian worlds and a few alien worlds. I preferred the dystopian worlds to the alien worlds. I liked when the stories stuck to simplicity. When authors try to cram too much world-building into short stories, they do not really work. Oh well. Stories can’t always be winners.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #1

Reading: I started the Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost on Saturday. And I’m totally going to keep reading the series. Fun and full of action!

Watching: J and I started on a big murder mystery movie binge and we’re really enjoying it. It started after watching Glass Onion over Christmas and watching a video about 10 classic murder mystery movies. We made a watchlist and have started moving through them.

Listening: Attempting to catch up on my regular podcasts. I got a little behind during Christmas.

Making: I’m starting to make plans for my coop section. We’re doing Engineering Challenge and I need to think of some good tasks for the kids.

Feeling: I had minor outpatient surgery yesterday. I’m definitely not feeling great, but I am on the way to recovery and feeling much better soon.

Planning: While stuck at home, I’m working on getting a meal plan for the spring next.

Loving: While I’m recovering, I’m loving the peace and quiet. J took the kids to the coop field trip at the planetarium. I am excited to just rest a bit before the kids some charging back home.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Paradise Falls by Keith O'Brien

Title: Paradise Falls: The True Story of an Environmental Catastrophe

Author: Keith O’Brien

Publisher: Pantheon Books 2022

Genre: Nonfiction - History, Science

Pages: 455

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR

Lois Gibbs, Luella Kenny, and other mothers loved their neighborhood on the east side of Niagara Falls. It had an elementary school, a playground, and rows of affordable homes. But in the spring of 1977, pungent odors began to seep into these little houses, and it didn’t take long for worried mothers to identify the curious scent. It was the sickly sweet smell of chemicals.
 
In this propulsive work of narrative storytelling, NYT journalist Keith O’Brien uncovers how Gibbs and Kenny exposed the poisonous secrets buried in their neighborhood. The school and playground had been built atop an old canal—Love Canal, it was called—that Hooker Chemical, the city’s largest employer, had quietly filled with twenty thousand tons of toxic waste in the 1940s and 1950s. This waste was now leaching to the surface, causing a public health crisis the likes of which America had never seen before and sparking new and specific fears. Luella Kenny believed the chemicals were making her son sick.
 
O’Brien braids together previously unknown stories of Hooker Chemical’s deeds; the local newspaperman, scientist, and congressional staffer who tried to help; the city and state officials who didn’t; and the heroic women who stood up to corporate and governmental indifference to save their families and their children. They would take their fight all the way to the top, winning support from the EPA, the White House, and even President Jimmy Carter. By the time it was over, they would capture America’s imagination.

Such a hard book to read, and yet I was very interested in it when the book published. One of my book clubs chose this to read and I dove in after the beginning of the year. I knew the basic information about the Love Canal incident. I remember seeing news reports (after the fact obviously) and I knew about the incident was the origin of the EPA’s Superfund program. This volume really goes into depth, detailing the events leading up to the inhabitants of the neighborhood realizing that there was something seriously wrong. We get to know all the major players including a few of the women who led the neighborhood response. I’ve heard the name Lois Gibbs before, but it was nice to understand exactly who she was and how she helped lead the efforts to clean up the area. Many of the sections were difficult to read. Reading about children getting sick and dying is never my idea of fun. And yet, this is such an important story to read. I’m sure that we will have a very interesting discussion next week.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #1

Right now I am: Mentally preparing myself for book club later today. One last activity for the week!

On my bedside table: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt; Come as You Are by Jess Hardy

On my tv this week: J and I watched some episodes of Avenue 5, Leverage: Redemption, Mythic Quest, and the Bad Education Reunion Special.

Listening to: I’ve been trying to catch up with some podcasts, but people keep making more! It’s a never ending battle.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Leftovers/Takeout

• Tuesday - Balsamic Pork Roast

• Wednesday - BBQ Cheddar Meatloaf

• Thursday - Black Bean Soup, Chicken Ranch Tacos

• Friday - Asian Takeout Night

• Saturday - Chicken Parmesan

• Sunday - Blackened Salmon

On my to do list: Nothing much.

Happening this week: It’s surgery week! Minor outpatient surgery, but it will put me down for awhile. I am not planning on doing much of anything this week. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow.

What I am creating: Nothing much, although I did print some photos from my 2022 December Daily album. I really want to get that finished by the end of the month.

My simple pleasures: Chatting with friends, chocolate cookies, the anticipation of less pain

Looking around the house: Since I hosted a homeschool meeting yesterday, the house is looking pretty good right now. I want to do a pick up sweep later in anticipation of not doing much next week.

From the camera: We went on a very cold, but fun hike on Friday morning. Loved seeing the pond partially iced over.

Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter

Title: Ghostly Echoes (Jackaby #3)

Author: William Ritter

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers

Genre: YA Historical Fiction; Horror

Pages: 341

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR; Finishing the Series

Jenny Cavanaugh, the ghostly lady of 926 Augur Lane, has enlisted the services of her detective-agency tenants to solve a decade-old murder—her own. Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, R. F. Jackaby, dive into the cold case, starting with a search for Jenny’s fiancé, who went missing the night she died. But when a new, gruesome murder closely mirrors the events of ten years prior, Abigail and Jackaby realize that Jenny’s case isn’t so cold after all. Soon Abigail’s race to unravel the mystery leads her down to the mythical underworld and deep into her colleagues’ grim histories to battle the most deadly foe she has ever faced.

Oh I am so on board with the series still. I absolutely love the mix of Sherlock Holmes and wild supernatural adventures. The first two books were setting up the larger storyline without really telling us that there was a larger storyline. In this volume, we get the big plans laid out. We finally meet the big players, including the mysterious pale man from the previous two books. We also get to learn so much more about Jenny and Jackaby while following the clues in Jenny’s murder case. I sped through this volume on pins and needles desperate to see what would happen and who would live and die. I cannot wait to finish this series with the last book. So happy to have been recommended this series by a bookish friend.

Jackaby

• #1 Jackaby

• #1.5 The Map

• #2 Beastly Bones

• #3 Ghostly Echoes

• #4 The Dire King

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Deal by Elle Kennedy

Title: The Deal (Off Campus #1)

Author:Elle Kennedy

Publisher: Bloom Books 2015

Genre: Romance

Pages: 360

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - Campus Corner; 52 Book Club

Spice Meter: 5

She’s about to make a deal with the college bad boy…

Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice…even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date.

...and it’s going to be oh so good

All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he’s worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he’s all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn’t take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn’t going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.

CW: Rape (in the past, off page, but discussed), Domestic Abuse

I admit to being hesitant to dive into a New Adult romance series. I have a history of being very annoyed by the early 20-something character whining about life. Like seriously, what have you experienced? So, I tiptoed into this series. By the end of the book, I was looking forward to more from this author and the world. This book is so much more than just a college romance. We get very big discussions about domestic abuse and rape. Nothing is put on the page in a graphic nature, but we know it’s happened. We have characters that come together, slowly get to know one another, and eventually build a romantic relationship. I really enjoyed watching Garrett and Hannah connect. The conversations felt real and meaningful.

Off Campus

• #1 The Deal

• #2 The Mistake

• #2.5 The Pact

• #3 The Score

• #3.5 The Incident

• #4 The Goal

• #5 The Legacy

Next up on the TBR pile:

2023 Reading Challenges

2023 Reading Challenges

• Goodreads Challenge

• UnRead Shelf Project

• Seasonal TBRS: Winter TBR, Spring TBR, Summer TBR, Fall TBR

• Kid Read Alouds

• BOTM Cleanout

• 52 Book Club

• Romanceopoly

• COYER

• Finishing the Series

• Build Your Library (Arthur Focused)

GoodReads Challenge (200) - I’m sticking with my usual 200 books for this overall goal. Last year, I blew past that number and ended with 244, my second highest number ever. But I don’t necessarily want to read more books, I just want to keep my momentum up. 200 seems like a good number.

UnRead Shelf (50) - My fifth year participating in this particular challenge. I haven’t really done well in years past, but I do want to keep this on my radar. You can find more information about this challenge at The Unread Shelf. For 2023, my Top 10 to Read:

1. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

2. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

3. Wake, Siren by Nina MacLaughlin

4. Lady Mechanika Vol. 7

5. The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

6. Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth

7. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

8. The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

9. The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald

10. The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson

Seasonal TBRs (25 x4) - Instead of strict monthly goals, I’m going to focus on seasonal goals. Unlike last year, I won’t be filling my lists with 25 specific titles, but instead use a bit of a goal framework. For example, winter’s list can include 5 Kindle books, 5 fantasy/scifi pics, 5 romances, and 5 nonfiction. I can go anywhere in those categories. This helps me diversify my genres and styles.

Kid Read Alouds (20) - Continuing with this challenge again this year. We have some great read aloud choices for the spring semester. And I’m sure that I’ll pick some great titles for the fall semester.

BOTM Cleanout (12) - I have so many BOTM books just hanging out my floor. I was excited to order every single one of them, but then they just started gathering dust. This year I want to reduce my pile by at least 12 books.

52 Book Club (52) - I am often tempted by big diverse prompt challenges, but I lot I have issues with the prompts. This one seems to be more in line with how I read. And I like the one book a week idea. So I’m going to attempt this one! You can find more information at The 52 Book Club.

Romanceopoly (39) - This challenge is going to be a big of a stretch. As I rediscovered my love of romance books, I thought I would give it a try. I haven’t decided if I want to move space by space through the board or roll dice to determine. More information at Romanceopoly.

COYER (Clean Out Your E-Reader) (20) - Goodness knows that I have too many books on my Kindle app. It’s time to start attempting to reduce that number. More information at Because Reading.

Finishing the Series (10) - I’m hoping to finish 10 series this year. I know of a few that have already been started, but I imagine that many many more will crop up as the year progresses. More information at Celebrity Readers.

1. ACOTAR - I need to just read A Court of Silver Flames

2. Jackaby - I need to read Ghostly Echoes and The Dire King.

Build Your Library (40) - BYL forms the basis for our homeschool curriculum and I just now learned that Emily makes a reading challenge every year. This challenge will be primarily for Arthur, but I imagine that I will be reading many of the books with him, so I added it to my page. Looking forward to a great year of reading with the kids. More information at Build Your Library.

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I also decided to create my own spice meter for romance books. A 1-5 scale seemed too limiting for the types of books I read. So I expanded it to 8 levels with corresponding explanations. This year, I will be rating all of my romance books on this new scale.

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My rating system:

• 5 stars - loved it, will tell everyone (or almost everyone) to read it

• 4 stars - liked it, would recommend to certain people

• 3 stars - okay book, but maybe not something i would recommend, maybe not a book for me, but I see merit

• 2 stars - disliked it

• 1 star - finished the book, but hated it! will rant to anyone about why I hated this one